Recap: Tough Third Period Sinks Ducks in 6-3 Loss to Sabres

Trevor Zegras extended his scoring streak with a three-point game, helping Anaheim overcome an early deficit, but the Ducks fell 6-3 to the Buffalo Sabres today at KeyBank Center.
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The loss dropped Anaheim to 1-2-1 on its six-game road trip and 13-29-5 on the season.

Zegras scored twice in the second period, erasing Buffalo's 2-0 lead, and added an assist for his fifth career three-point performance. The 21-year-old Zegras now leads the Ducks in scoring (17-23=40) and goals this season.

Simon Benoit also scored for Anaheim. Ryan Strome, Max Comtois, Nathan Beaulieu and Adam Henrique recorded assists. John Gibson made 33 saves.
Peyton Krebs and Victor Olofsson each scored twice for the Sabres, who again pulled within four points of the Eastern Conference's second Wild Card spot.
Dylan Cozens and Jeff Skinner also scored for Buffalo. Ilya Lyubushkin tallied three assists, while Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin added two apiece.
Netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen grabbed his 12th win of the season, stopping 33-of-36 Anaheim shots.
The start followed a familiar script for Anaheim after Thursday's comeback win in Columbus, with Buffalo striking first midway through the first period. The Sabres took advantage of a few near misses and strong netminding on one end, then capitalizing on a sudden Grade-A look at the other.
Anaheim did everything but score on an early power play, setting up in the offensive zone and getting quality chances in tight from Troy Terry and Jakob Silfverberg, but Luukkonen answered the bell both times.
Seconds after Buffalo survived the kill, Cozens took a pass along the blue line from the former top pick, Dahlin, dancing around Silfverberg before lifting a shot over Gibson's shoulder from in close to give the hosts the afternoon's first lead.
Cozens, selected seventh overall in 2019, ranks third among 2019 draftees in career scoring (33-60-93), trailing only Jack Hughes and Zegras. The 21-year-old has 42 points in 45 games this season.
Dahlin is one of just four NHL defensemen averaging more than one point-per-game this season.
The Sabres added to the lead late in the frame on the power play, getting a fortunate home-ice bounce in the process. Tuch danced into the slot, leaving a pass behind for Skinner, whose shot hit Frank Vatrano's leg, changing direction enough to fool Gibson and put Buffalo up 2-0.
Much like they did two days ago though, the Ducks bounced right back in the second period, today thanks to a pair of darts by Zegras.
The first came just four minutes into the middle frame, with Zegras and Strome playing catch on left wing just inside the blue line before Zegras stepped in and beat Luukkonen over the shoulder to the short side.

Strome has assists in each of his last four games (0-4=4). Comtois, who grabbed the secondary helper, has points in back-to-back games (0-2=2) and four points in his last six appearances.
Zegras scored again four minutes later, again beating Luukkonen up top. Beaulieu created the chance, pinching in at the right point to cancel a Buffalo clearing attempt and poke the puck free. Zegras swooped in to pick it up, cutting to the open ice in the high slot and then ripping a wrister clean over Luukkonen's blocker.

Zegras, who would add an assist later on, has 5-4=9 points on a five-game point streak and has found the scoresheet in nine of his last ten games.
His sixth multi-goal game marks the second-most by a Duck prior to their 22nd birthday, behind only Paul Kariya (13).
The see-saw action would only continue from there, as Buffalo went right back ahead just two minutes later. After an Anaheim neutral zone turnover, Dahlin took a pass down left wing, circling the net before sliding the puck into a swarm of bodies in the low slot. Krebs got to it first, swatting it just hard enough to sneak through Gibson for the go-ahead goal.
Also a first-round pick in that 2019 draft, Krebs has goals in two his last three games.
With an assist, Dahlin secured his 48th career multi-point game, 12th in NHL history for under-23 defensemen.
Anaheim once again answered right back though, tying the game five minutes later courtesy of a new-found offensive weapon. Zegras cycled the puck down the right wing wall to Benoit, who collected it and curled into the slot, seemingly surprising Luukkonen with a quick wrist shot, which snuck through the netminder to level the score at three.

After scoring once in his first 96 NHL games, Benoit has three goals in his last six games.
Unfortunately for Anaheim, the third would belong to Buffalo, who rode two goals from Olofson and a clincher from Krebs to a 6-3 win.
Olofsson broke the tie two minutes into the period, slamming home a backdoor pass off the rush from Lyubushkin after an Anaheim neutral zone turnover.
The Swedish winger doubled the lead minutes later, getting to a loose puck in the neutral zone and splitting the Ducks defense for a breakaway before beating Gibson to the blocker side.
Olofsson has scored in five of his last six games and ranks third among team leaders (21) in goals this season.
With the goal, Buffalo became the fourth NHL club with three 20-goal scorers (Olofsson, Thompson, Tuch), joining Edmonton, Toronto and Winnipeg.
Krebs capped the scoring with just over six minutes to play, wiring a shot over Gibson's glove from the top of the circles.
With three assists on the afternoon, Lyubushkin tallied his first career NHL three-point game.
The Ducks continue their six-game road trip Tuesday in Arizona.